Jaws Essay Plan
Jaws Essay Plan
QUESTION: How does Steven Spielberg, the director of Jaws, create a
film filled with tension and suspense?
In your Introduction, you must mention:
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The title of the film
The director of the film
The actors involved in the film
The musical director (the man who came up with the musical score)
You should also have:
 A summary of the film (100 – 200 words)
 The setting of the film
 The question you are going to be looking at.
In your Part 1 you must have written about:
1. The Title Sequence (the start of the film):
 The Universal logo, underwater noises and what it means to the audience.
 The camera shot used by Spielberg in this sequence, and the idea of the ‘theme
tune’ of the shark.
 The music that starts after the Universal logo fades, and how it changes.
2. The Opening Scene ( Chrissie Watkins)
 The music – jumps from scary tense music to mouth organ.
 Chrissie – who is she, what does she do and why?
 The shark attack – POV shot, music, zooms.
 The silence after the attack and the boy on the beach.
The 1st attack
Key points to cover
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That the audience are given a victim that they can relate to – a girl who was just after a bit of fun
with a boy that she took a fancy to (Cassidy).
That the point of view shot (and music)is again used to signal the presence of the shark
Jaws Essay Plan
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That tension is increased as we switch between shots of Chrissie swimming and pov shots of the
shark moving in closer to attack
That the power of the shark’s attack is emphasised by using a fixed camera shot – making the
side-to-side movement seem more dramatic
You could mention
The irony of the warning buoy – should be a symbol of safety / protection
The use of a rope-harness used to pull Chrissie under / from side-to side
In your Part 2 you must have written about:
3. Alex Kintner’s Attack.
Key points to cover.
 Alex – who is he, what does he do, and why?
 Chief Brody watching the water – the fact that he is alone, despite previous shark
attack.
 The Second Shark attack – the shots, the music and how it changes.
The 2nd attack
Key points to cover:
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Tracking shot following Alex up the beach to his mother
Use of dialogue to highlight caring relationship between them
Tracking shot follows Alex up beach as he collects li-lo and ends on
Medium shot of Chief Brody – explain significance of each aspect
Foreground Mid-ground Background Use of pov shots and music to, again, signal the presence of the shark
Use of zoom to emphasise Brody’s shock as the attack takes place.
You could mention
The link between Alex’s mother and Chief Brody’s wife Ellen – how they are linked / contrasted in
this scene.
Final shot of the li-lo washing ashore surrounded by bloody water. Silence emphasises the horror
of what has happened
Part 3
3rd Attack: The 4th of July
Key points to cover:
 The difference between the Fourth of July attack and the Alex Kintner attack.
 The amount of extra security personnel on the beach.
 The fake fin incident.
Jaws Essay Plan
More summary in nature – more general points rather than focusing on specific shots.
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The support that Brody has in protecting the public – helicopter – boats in tight (SMALL
NUMBER MADE TO LOOK BIG)
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The change in use of the point-of-view shots – no longer the music FAKE FIN is used by
SS to take away a clue to the shark’s presence – from now on, we are not prepared for
an impending attack.
The 3rd attack – 4th of July
Have you explained how
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This scene contrasts with the last attack. How does Spielberg show the increased response /
safety concerns of the town.
How does he indicate that, despite this, Brody is not convinced about the level of safety / security –
how is he proved right…?
Spielberg plays with, and undermines, the clue to the shark’s presence – the point of view shot –
using it instead to show the pov of two boys playing a prank with a fake shark fin.
Part 4 – Out to sea.
In this part explain the techniques that are used to reinforce the power of the shark, without us
actually seeing it.
What camera angles/ shots are used to emphasis the size of Jaws? Think about:
Key Points to cover:
 Quint’s yellow drums – that are used to drag Jaws to the surface.
 The close up shot where Brody shovels bait.
 Shark pictured against the Orca (Quint’s boat).
 Hooper’s cage incident.
 The damage Jaws does to the Orca.
Have you explained how:
o The drums make the shark seem more powerful – Quint tells us that one should
be enough to pull it to the surface.
o Gets 3 drums – races them across the surface of the sea – emphasises the power
of the shark
o How a focus on a small area when Brody is shovelling bait makes the shark
appear bigger. CU of Brody/ Shark’s head takes up most of shot/ Surprise as there
is no music or pov shot.
Jaws Essay Plan
o Shark is at its largest, against the boat at its narrowest point. – emphasises size
and power.
o Scaled down cage, live shark and small actor to make size seem bigger.
o The physical damage that the shark does to the boat to eat Quint.